The Big Bang – the watch that disrupted traditional notions of luxury timepieces upon its launch in 2005 and has since become a permanent fixture in Hublot’s product portfolio – celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. A journey marked not only by the collection’s longevity, but also by its continual evolution in both design and technical refinement.
Accordingly, the Big Bang has become one of Hublot’s most significant and enduring models – due in no small part to its versatility. This is evidenced by the sheer variety of interpretations, collaborations and complications it has inspired. From the Square Bang with its angular case, to the provocative partnership with Nespresso – resulting in an equally provocative Big Bang crafted from recycled coffee capsules – and on to the Big Bang MP-11, which delivers a remarkable two-week power reserve via seven mainspring barrels, all housed in a watch weighing just 90 grams.
For the past two decades, Hublot has continually reimagined the classic round case of the Big Bang, using it as a platform to explore new materials, colours and design concepts. This creative playground has seen the watch cloaked in a deep-black All Black aesthetic, rendered entirely transparent in models such as the Big Bang Orange Sapphire, or given the textured appearance of Damascus steel in the Unico Gourmet – a material traditionally reserved for the art of bladesmithing. It is precisely this focus on materials that defines the latest anniversary editions.
From titanium and King Gold to vivid red ceramic, All Black finishes and the brand’s own Magic Gold – for the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang, Hublot unveils five limited-edition models. Each adheres to a unified design concept, yet each interprets it through the distinctive character of its chosen material. The aim: to unite the most defining aesthetic codes of the original Big Bang with the signature traits of today’s Big Bang Unico. Here is everything you need to know about Hublot’s anniversary releases.
The first two models of the anniversary collection take us back to the origins of the Big Bang. Emerging in 2005, the Big Bang made its debut with two distinctive versions that combined steel or gold with rubber and ceramic – a fusion of contemporary materials and traditional watchmaking. “Art of Fusion” was the concept born of the creative vision of then-Hublot President Jean-Claude Biver, who sought to unite elements previously thought incompatible in the world of fine watchmaking – gold and rubber, for example.
That same idea continues to shape the anniversary editions Hublot presents for the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang: the first, limited to 500 pieces, combines titanium with ceramic, while the second, limited to 250 pieces, unites King Gold with ceramic.
The design concept behind these two editions – a guiding aesthetic principle across all five anniversary models – is, according to Hublot, a literal translation of a vision in which past, present and future converge within the Big Bang. Nowhere is this ambition more apparent than on the dial, where Hublot has reintroduced several elements from the very first Big Bang: including the signature chequered pattern adorned with vertical stripes, and the subdials featuring red markers – now a hallmark of the collection.
Classic design cues also dominate the dial, such as the Arabic numerals and hour markers, borrowed from the original Big Bang models. These elements anchor the watch in its heritage, while the Luminova coating applied to them subtly signals its forward-looking character. The vintage-inspired aesthetic extends to the hour and minute hands, which echo the same visual language.
The redesigned case now measures 43 mm in diameter and features shorter lugs for improved ergonomics. A defining trait of the original Big Bang, the prominent fluted bezel, makes a celebrated return in this anniversary edition. The motif continues on the rubber-coated chronograph pushers and the structured rubber strap. Beneath the dial ticks Hublot’s in-house Unico automatic chronograph movement, visible through the sapphire crystal caseback – its presence further accentuated by a red gold-plated rotor.
With the launch of the Big Bang Unico Red Magic in 2018, the collection took on a more vibrant tone, as Hublot introduced red ceramic for the first time to create a fully red aesthetic – from the case to the bezel. As one of the foundational models that paved the way for expanding the Big Bang’s spectrum of case colours, it now receives a well-deserved tribute: the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Red Magic Edition, limited to just 100 pieces.
This edition presents a particularly striking combination of red ceramic case elements and a carbon-look dial, adorned with black and grey chequered tiles. Every component – from the numerals and hands to the chronograph counters – is cloaked in a bold red hue, which stands out vividly against the textured backdrop.
Legibility? In a watch that combines a black dial with black indices and equally black hands, it plays a decidedly minor role. No – with the concept first introduced in 2006 of presenting timepieces in a fully blacked-out design, Hublot has always been more concerned with expression than functionality. One might say: Hublot’s All Black models are less about being read and more about being seen.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang, Hublot reinterprets the concept of the completely blacked-out timepiece with the Big Bang 20th Anniversary All Black Edition. Crafted from a combination of matte and polished black ceramic, the 43 mm case features a matching carbon-patterned black dial that embraces the spirit of the All Black aesthetic. Limited to 500 pieces, this edition appeals to long-standing fans of the early Big Bang era – and to anyone looking to make a bold statement. Even the movement stays true to the dark theme, broken only by a gold-plated rotor visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Those familiar with Hublot know that the brand has a particular sensitivity – and indeed a fondness – for combining Big Bang materials with unexpected elements that, at first glance, may not seem to belong together. Cases crafted from Nespresso capsules, ceramic and steel, or even denim and diamonds – yes, the Big Bang Jeans is very real – are hardly surprising in the world of Hublot.
The brand’s penchant for unconventional material combinations, many of which had never before been used in watchmaking, eventually led Hublot to develop its own materials. One such innovation, introduced in 2011, is Magic Gold: an 18-carat gold alloy infused with ceramic, giving the metal a brand-new property. According to Hublot, the ceramic content makes it the hardest gold in the world – resilient enough that only diamonds could scratch it.
Developed and cast in-house at Hublot’s manufacture and foundry, Magic Gold stands as a prime example of the brand’s dedication to material crossovers. Now, this unique alloy is the focus of a special edition. Limited to 100 pieces, the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Magic Gold Edition combines the 18-carat alloy with a carbon-patterned dial and gold-plated hands and hour markers.
The final word on the 20th anniversary of the Big Bang goes to the man who embodies its present and future like no other: Hublot CEO Julien Tornare.
“The Hublot Big Bang is undoubtedly one of the modern icons of 21st-century watchmaking. This year, we are not only looking back at everything Hublot has achieved with the Big Bang, but also looking ahead – to all that is still possible. I am incredibly proud of what the Big Bang 20th Anniversary Capsule Collection represents: it bridges the nostalgia of the past 20 years with the present and future of what the Hublot manufacture is yet to accomplish. Here’s to the next 20 years!”
